Stars who died without leaving a will

Unfortunately, some stars pass away without leaving a will, leaving the big question of who will administer their estate. This often leads to bitter legal battles between family members that can drag on for years.

Find out which stars died without leaving a will…

1. Amy Winehouse

Continue Amy WinehouseUpon her untimely death in 2011, it was discovered that she had died without a will, leaving behind an estate estimated to be worth $4.66 million. According to USA Today, with no written documentation of her estate distribution wishes, all of her assets went to her parents, Mitch and Janis Winehouse.

Meanwhile, nothing was paid to her ex-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, whom she divorced in 2009. In 2019, he apparently unsuccessfully attempted to make a legal claim against her estate for $1.4 million.

2. Jimi Hendrix

Famous musicians Jimi Hendrix Jimi was just 27 when he died in 1970 without leaving a will. His estate was passed on to his father Al, but when he died in 2002, a years-long legal battle began over control of his estate. According to CNN, Al gave control of his estate to Jimi's adopted sister, Janie, but Jimi's brother, Leon, contested the decision.

In a 2004 court battle, seven of the 11 beneficiaries of Leon and Al's estate claimed that Janie, who was just a young girl when Jimi died, didn't know him. Leon also claimed that Janie had persuaded her father Al to remove him from the will and had mismanaged the estate. According to The New York Times, a judge ultimately ruled that Janie would continue to control the estate but that the funds must be distributed to other trustees.

A few years later, another judge granted Leon the rights to use Jimi's likeness and image, which led to numerous legal battles between Jimi's family over his estate.

3. Kurt Cobain

when Kurt Cobain He died in 1994 without a valid will, and his estate was ultimately left to his wife. Courtney LoveThis included the publishing rights to almost the entire Nirvana catalogue, and a trust was also set up for his daughter, Frances Bean, who was only one year old when her father died.

Courtney continued to control her share of the estate for over a decade, until she sold some of Nirvana's publishing rights for an estimated $50 million. In 2010, she stepped down as manager of the company that controlled Kurt's publicity rights in exchange for a $2.75 million loan from her daughter's trust fund. Around that time, Frances turned 18 and gained access to the trust, which held a third of the estate.

4. Prince

prince Prince died in 2016, leaving behind an estimated $300 million estate but no will. Several people tried to claim a share of his estate, claiming to be secret family members, but were ultimately turned down. According to USA Today, it took more than a year to identify the rightful beneficiaries of Prince's estate, which were ultimately determined to be his sister, Tyka Nelson, and his five half-siblings.

Over the next few years, the brothers were often locked in court battles over the division of their fortune. In 2021, three of the heirs sold their shares to music publisher Primary Wave. The following year, a judge finally ruled on the division of the estate, which Forbes said was worth $156 million.

Though the legal battle appeared to be settled, the brothers continue to face disagreements in court. As recently as early 2024, management of Prince Legacy LLC, the holding company that controls half of Prince's estate, had to file a lawsuit against several family members who tried to remove them from the company.

5. Tupac Shakur

Tupac Shakur Tupac died at age 25 and did not leave a will. His estate was ultimately passed to his mother, Afeni Shakur Davis. When Afeni died in 2016, record executive Tom Walley was named administrator of his estate. Tom originally signed Tupac while working for Interscope and eventually became head of Warner Bros. Records. Her will named Tupac's sister Sekyiwa and the Tupac Shakur Foundation as beneficiaries.

Tom managed the estate for several years, but in 2022, Ms. Sekyiwa filed a lawsuit against Tom, alleging that he had “embezzled millions of dollars” and blatantly violated his role as executor. Ms. Sekyiwa then requested an audit of the estate. It is unclear what has happened in court since then.

6. Sonny Bono

rear Sonny Bono When he died suddenly in a skiing accident in 1998, it was discovered that he had not left a will. After going through court proceedings, his wife Mary Bono was named executor of his estate, and his estate was ultimately divided between her and Sonny's two children. Chaz Bono Christy Bono Faus.

In 2021, Sonny's ex-wife and musical collaborator Cher Mary filed a $1 million lawsuit against Cher's estate for attempting to terminate provisions that gave her 50% ownership of Cher's songs and recording royalties. Mary exercised the “termination right” portion of copyright law to reclaim rights that were transferred to third parties “without Cher's knowledge or involvement.” According to Fox News, the judge ruled that Cher should have received more than $418,000 in royalties in 2024.

7. Billie Holiday

when Billie Holiday When she died in 1959, she had very little assets, but an estate that included royalties from her music and control of her image and publishing rights. Lacking a will, her estate passed to her estranged and abusive husband, Louis MacKay. When he died in 1981, it was passed on to heirs, including his widow, Bernice MacKay. According to Billboard, she sold the estate in 2012 to independent publisher Bicycle Music, which later merged with Concord Music Group.